I haven’t had this pen very long. It just came in from Japan but I like this pen very much so far. Or should I say, I like this nib. The entire pen is still out for discussion. I got this pen from Engeika on Ebay. I like Fine and Extra Fine nibs and this nib is exceptional. It is both thin and smooth which is pretty much what I’m looking for. I think that for a budget pen this is a great nib. It skips much less than my extra fine Safari’s. Admittedly, I don’t have a lot of pens and I’ve had this pen for (literally) hours.

In terms of looks, the pen was described on Ebay as a demonstrator. It is not a demonstrator. The only clear portion is the cap. I have filled it with Iroshizuku Tsutsuji which came with the pen. The ink is the same color as the pen which is a fun little twist.

I don’t have a lot of cheap paper so I can’t tell you a lot about how it performs on terrible paper. I can say that it seems very, very thin on a Moleskine. I’m not a fan of this paper/pen/ink combo. On my Paperchase journal, the experience is much more pleasant. I am a lefty and had no problems whatsoever with the ink not being dry. However, this is a very fine nib and fountain pen friendly paper. I’m not sure the exact size of the nib since the auction didn’t specify and I don’t read Japanese however, it is finer than any of my other Extra Fines. It is my first Japanese pen so it could be a Japanese Fine. Dunno.

I’m a fountain pen newbie so I don’t know what this filling system is called but I really like it. You squeeze a section on the cartridge and it fills. Easy Peasy!

The one drawback that I have noticed so far is that the pen is very short and oddly balanced unposted. Posted, it is still an oddly balanced pen. I don’t know how I would like it for long writing sessions. For writing in a journal or writing notes, it is perfectly acceptable.